People often quote "a picture means a thousand words". I agree but not because the amount of information represented is actually equivalent, but because the current generation of youth is increasingly attentive and attracted to images and illustrations. They are less interested in reading articles on an issue but are more willing to look at a comic strip satirising social issues, and for the most part they are at least made aware of the issue, so they probably get a thousand words worth from it.
However I grew up with expressing my thoughts with words, so I decided to keep this journal text-based, and maybe include the occasional image here and there. And, as I couldn't come up with 'theme' or 'focus', but still want to be a bit gimmicky, so I'll just restrict all my main posts to exactly 1000 words.
The illustration above roughly represents my placing of different individual and social issues that are faced by people and nations belonging to the traditional 'world classes'. What surprised me is that these are often not the topics media reports on; the majority of newspaper articles is related to only first world issues. I have only really seen newspaper items on second and third world happenings when it is catastrophic (typhoon kills 2000) or a regime/civil war breaks out. But usually, the front page is the man who wins a cycling race, rather than 50 Chinese sweatshop workers who died from the exhaustion working 20 hours a day for 15 years to provide for their families. (p.s. Cadel Evans still rocks!)
For those who are interested in world affairs they usually have to hunt for niche journalism themselves (thank you, Internet), as the big media conglomerates are more focused on selling you products.
One of my younger friends who are in high school seem to be crying their eyes out because they haven't found true love by their 18th birthday, thinking there's nothing left in life for them. Another would only ever talk about the latest twists in their current Korean TV dramas and their favourite pop singers, and how there's nothing happier than going to their live concert in Tokyo. What is really interesting to me is that they know there is 7 billion people on this planet, and have probably faced drama in real life than just being in a love triangle (I hope), but popular media continues to teach young people in First (even Second) World countries that the biggest problems you will ever face is love, health problems and crime. Thank God there's nothing else we need to worry about! For a moment I thought those starving children in Africa was an emergency!
Having said this, I wouldn't blame the News Corporation entirely for this lack of globalised news in a globalised world, after all they only report what they deem people are interested in reading. YouTube is a very good starting point when trying to hunt documentaries and world news, once you filter out the fake videos and cheap thrills, but at the end of the day, who would know where to find the truly 'noteworthy' articles and news reports?
In my opinion, parents play the largest part instilling the right values in children. I hear time and again that parents "want the best for their children", and so they put them in the best school, give them the healthiest food, and in our decade, an iPhone as well. However, fewer parents feel obliged to teach their children to think critically, adjust their morality, explain their cultural and social responsibility. They are under the impression that the schools are teaching them, but then when done incorrectly they complain and sue their academic shoes off.
Also, many children have working parents, and usually it's to provide for their high maintenance lifestyle. Maybe it's because I'm still young and naive, but hypothetically the parents could both negotiate working hours such that they take turns to finish work early so they could spend the after school hours with their children, especially during their primary school years. Assuming schools finish at 3pm and work normally finishes at 5pm, you're only sacrificing 10 out of 80 working hours! Maybe in some developing countries this is much harder to achieve (since the financial need is greater), so I'm focusing on Fist world parents.
From what I understand, Australian public schools are NOT allowed to teach students values and morality, as they are supposed to be taught by the parents. My question is, do the parents know they have that responsibility? Are parenting classes even compulsory? I know there isn't such a thing as a parenting license, but having heard the stories of domestic violences and dysfunctional families from social worker friends, I think parliament should consider it.
Hmm I've deviated a bit, but I think it all comes back around in a big circle. Parents who don't teach their children values will probably not teach them to look beyond their circle of friends either. As a result they are taught to be self-interested and only concerned with the immediate problems they face without a wider, long-term perspective. This leads to them becoming parents that will probably also not teach their children as they just hope their children will get what they didn't, which is practically nothing when compared to those in underdeveloped countries.
For me, when I learned to see myself as part of a grand picture, one arm of a giant machine, a world citizen, I started seeing how insignificant my own personal problems are, even if they are emotionally burdening at times. Once I know that there are billions of people less fortunate than I, complaints disappeared and I became resolute in working to become a positive force in bettering others, not just in the interest of family and friends, but wherever in the world truly needs help, and I am able to provide. If I ever have children I won't simply teach them; I will show them.
